Register for a chance to win an NYCPOFEST tote bag filled with signed copies of books by this year's featured readers, Aja Monet, Sapphire, Deborah Landau, and Patrick Phillips!
The New York City Poetry Festival, the largest gathering of its kind, returns to Governors Island this summer -- and with exciting news. After six years wrapped in the breezy embrace of Colonel's Row, The New York City Poetry Festival is migrating east across the island to picturesque Nolan Park. The move is designed to give our growing festival a little breathing room and some new possibilities. Nolan Park is more than twice the size of Colonel's Row, ringed with a collection of beautiful Victorian houses, and tucked beneath the wide, green canopies of dozens of century old trees. This summer we will transform our festival into a poetry village! In addition to our three main stages, along with the The Ring of Daisies Open Mic and The Children's Poetry Festival, Governor's Island has invited us to occupy and program the trellised porches that circle the park. With all this new space to explore, we are working harder than ever to bring more poetry and poetry lovers to the island. With that in mind, we are redoubling our outreach in order to make this the biggest and most culturally significant festival we have ever produced. We would love for you to take part: host a reading, set up a table or a booth, create an art installation, sponsor the event, volunteer for the festival, or get involved in some other creative way that we haven't even come up with yet.
The goal of The New York City Poetry Festival is to be the most egalitarian and inclusive poetry gathering in the world. Since it's inception the festival has remained free and open to the public. Any group or organization involved in the creation or appreciation of poetry is invited to curate a thirty minute reading on one of the festival's three main stages, and all completed applications are accepted on a first come first served basis until the festival roster is full. If you the roster fills up, bring your community to the festival and sign up for the open mic, which is often the most popular stage at the festival! We also offer tables to any organization or vendor who wishes to participate in our Vendors' Village / Book Fair at a rate of $50 for the entire weekend. The event includes over 75 poetry organizations and 250 poets on its three main stages; a Vendor's Village where local booksellers, artists and craft makers sell their wares; healthy and delicious food options; a beer garden sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery, poetry-inspired installation art throughout; the Ring of Daisies open mic; and, of course, the Children's Festival at NYCPOFEST, sponsored by Writopia Lab!
Check out our website (www.newyorkcitypoetryfestival.com) for the growing lineup and our 2017 vendors, sponsors, and other participants. Or contact us at nycpofest@gmail.com.